The Power Of Being Seen

We all have a need to be seen. There are significant diferences in developmental outcomesbetween children who are seen and those who are unseen.Statistics paint an ugly picture for the fate of foster children: about 40-50 percent of "aged-out"children become homeless within 18 months; almost 50 percent of prison inmates have been infoster homes; and foster children suffer six times the rate of PTSD found in the generalpopulation.Author Roger Saillant was a product of the foster care system in the 1950s. In this poignantmemoir, he describes his journey with no shortage of emotional baggage, constantly doubtinghimself and wondering why he is being moved from place to place. Why doesn't anybody wanthim? Did he do something wrong? What's the matter with him? He lives life on a farm wherethe only thing that matters to his foster father is whether his work gets done - with no regardfor the typical nurturing and experiences of a growing child.In The Power of Being Seen, Roger Saillant describes acutely his feelings of abandonment,helplessness, anger, resentment, and hopelessness to the point of contemplating suicide, butthe values instilled by many caring adults make this a story of optimism, vision, creativity,courage, sensitivity, and, most of all, inspiration.